The US Secret Service on Sunday responded to reports that there was a lack of communication between agencies during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania earlier this month, vowing to understand the timeline to make sure it never happens again.
Suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks climbed onto a rooftop and had a clear view of Trump as he spoke at a rally in Butler on July 13. Crooks then fired eight shots, grazing Trump’s ear, killing one and wounding two before being shot dead by a sniper.
Since the shooting, several reports have suggested law enforcement authorities were aware of the presence of suspicious people but allowed Trump to take the stage, raising questions about a lack of communication between authorities.
“Regarding the communications that day, we are committed to better understanding what happened before, during and after the assassination attempt on former President Trump and to ensuring that it never happens again,” the Secret Service said in a statement on Sunday. “This includes fully cooperating with Congress, the FBI and any other related investigations.”
Pennsylvania SWAT officer says team had no contact with Secret Service before Trump rally shooting
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump reacts as multiple gunshots ring out during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. (Reuters/Brendan McDiarmid)
The statement came after several media outlets highlighted a reported lack of communication from local police.
Police officers from the local tactical team assigned to the rally said there was no communication between their SWAT team and the US Secret Service before Trump was shot.
“Every time a member of the Secret Service arrived, they were going to be interviewed in person,” said Jason Woods, lead sniper for the Beaver County team. ABC News“That didn’t happen.”
Trump shooting: Timeline of assassination attempt raises questions about how gunman escaped security
On Saturday, July 13, 2024, Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania when gunfire erupted and a police sniper returned fire. (AP Photo/Jean J. Puskar)
Woods told the outlet that a lack of communication likely contributed to the serious planning failure that resulted in 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks wounding Trump, killing spectator Corey Compartore and wounding two other people before being shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
Woods said that was probably a defining moment, and when the meeting didn’t happen, he began to wonder if something was wrong.
“I couldn’t get in touch,” he said.
Trump campaign questions why they weren’t informed of suspicious person’s presence before assassination attempt
Police officers stand near the body of attempted assassin Thomas Crooks of President Donald Trump on Saturday, July 13, 2024. A gunman killed one person and wounded the former president in the assassination attempt. (Todd the Driller)
Since the assassination attempt, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has resigned and multiple law enforcement and Congressional investigations have been launched.
Woods told ABC News that he and his team were in position hours before Trump took the stage at the Butler Farm Show, but that his team first had contact with the Secret Service “after the shooting happened.” By that point, he said, it was “too late.”
ABC reported that one of Beaver County’s snipers took a photo of Crooks and alerted commanders about his suspicious presence at the venue, but the 20-year-old gunman still managed to find a position on the building’s roof.
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Meanwhile, Trump’s Secret Service and top advisers have questioned why they were not informed that local police had spotted a suspicious man who turned out to be the would-be assassin.
Trump advisers said they thought gunfire was coming from a large white tent behind the stage. The Washington Post.
Fox News Digital’s Christina Coulter contributed to this report.
